Subject: HSB

Topic: Coordination and Control

Sub-topic: Coordination by the nervous and endocrine system

Objectives:
At the end of this session students should be able to:
o Describe the main divisions of the nervous system
o Describe the functions of the parts of the brain
o Distinguish between a neurone and a nerve

Some important definitions:

Irritability: The response of the body to a stimulus

Stimulus- a change in the internal environment or external environment of an organism that
initiates response
Response- a change in an organism or part of an organism which is brought about by a
stimulus
Receptor- is the part of the organism that detects the stimulus
Effector- the part of an organism that responds to the stimulus

Coordination by the nervous and endocrine system

 Coordination is the ability to use the different parts of the body smoothly and efficiently.
 Coordination – receptors detecting stimuli and passing messages to the appropriate
effectors.
 Two systems are responsible- nervous and endocrine (hormonal) system
 Receptors- sense organs
 Effectors- muscles and glands
The nervous system

Composed of neurones or nerve cells and have two parts

 Central nervous system- brain and spinal cord

 Peripheral nervous system- cranial and spinal nerves which connect the central
nervous system to all parts of the body. Divided into the autonomic (involuntary)
nervous system and the voluntary or somatic nervous system.

The brain
Neurones

Neurone: Specialized cells which conduct nerve impulses throughout the nervous system

 Cell body with thin fibres extending from it called nerve fibres
 Dendrites are nerve fibres which carry impulses towards the cell
 Axons are nerve fibres which carry impulses away from the body
 Three types
o Sensory
o Motor
o Relay or intermediate neurones
Neurones have two major properties:

 Irritability- convert a stimulus into an electrical impulse

 Conductivity- can transmit nerve impulses to other neurones, muscles or glands

Nerves

Are bundles of nerve fibres of neurones surrounded by connective tissue through which
impulses pass between the CNS and the rest of the body.

Three types based on function:

 Sensory nerves – only sensory neurones, carry impulses from receptors to CNS
 Motor nerves- only motor neurones and carry impulses from CNS to receptors
  Mixed nerves- both sensory and motor, therefor can carry impulses both directions.

Further classified into two groups based on where they connect to the CNS:

 Cranial verves connect to brain

 Spinal nerves connect to the spinal cord

Synapses

 Adjacent neurones do not touch

 Tiny gaps between them called synapses
 Chemicals are released be vesicles in the synaptic knob called neurotransmitters
 Ensures impulses travel in one direction only and allows many neurones to
interconnect